Beneath
by Antheniac
Summary: Annabeth is a cold hearted assassin, she ruthlessly kills every target she is assigned. She holds one belief that she believes keeps her human. Love. What happens when she and an assassin named Percy work together to kill the vicious tyrant that rules their kingdom, Kronos? Will love blossom?
1. Chapter 1

Red. So much red. The sickly sweet substance coated my hands like gloves and dripped slowly from my fingertips. It fell onto the forest ground landing each with a quiet thump. The various plants around me held pools of red thick liquid. Spread around me was my black cloak with a hood pulled up to conceal my features. I sat quietly by a creek staring down at my hands. Strapped to my belt was my dagger and five smaller throwing knives. I looked up from my hands and gently stuck them into the soft running water. The water around my hands billowed into a soft red colour before running with the rest of the current. I started to softly rub my hands together trying to erase the signs of blood. That was my twenty seventh kill.

I was an assassin, no one knows my identity. They send the gold coins and I greet the victim with my dagger. I have never been caught, my presence is unattainable. They sometimes think they have rid the kingdom of me, and then I diminish their false sense of security by popping up and killing some aristocrat. I became this many years ago. It's okay, I've gotten used to it. I'm a monster, but there is one thing I hold on to that I believe still makes me somewhat human.

Love is real.

It has to be, I see it everyday. Anywhere I go, love follows me. Or I follow love. Or I just hopelessly chase after it, hoping I could grasp it one day. I knew with love I might regain my humanity again and stop ruthlessly killing people without so much of a second glance at their face. I also know with love comes great suffering, every time I take a life, I take their lover's soul too. Even if the one they love isn't dead, they weren't alive anymore. They would waste away in the sorrow of a loss just as my father once did.

I wiped my hands on my pants and stood up while pulling the hood of my cloak up again. it had been let down to allow my golden locks lay on my back. I started my way down a narrow path once again, wondering what I was going to do until my next employer came along. I took my dagger from my hilt and carefully turned it in my hand. I had killed twenty seven people with this dagger. I did it the same way every time so everyone knew it was me. I always roughly dug my dagger into their heart, hilt deep. I seized the beating to their heart like they did to my mother, like my father's love. I then engrave on their right forearm in fancy cursive_ love, death._ As if I was death signing a letter, which in essence I was sending a message that I was not going to be quiet and disappear into the shadows. I was always there, creeping along until I pounced only to take your life. The one you so highly held above others.

I only killed the rich, which in a way is an assassin's job. But to me every life I take is personal, a man with power took my mom's life and now these men with power would get their payback.

I kicked a stone to the side of the dirt pathway and grunted as a small branch scraped up against my stomach. Due to being a person to cause bloodshed I had to keep in peak physical condition. That meant I had no fat on my flat stomach to take some pain from that scrape. It was worse than I thought because little beads of blood were poking through my tunic. I wasn't worried about pain, it didn't really hurt at all. But, if infection got in my system that would be very bad. I took some cloth from my pack I had slung over my shoulder and tied it around my stomach hoping to keep any germs away from my scrape.

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I had now entered a small village and was in the process of gaining an inn room for the night. The guy might or might not have a right ear still. I had to keep off the books, which meant I couldn't pay. He wasn't cooperating so I had to cause some pain. Now I can relax in a warm bed with a short bath. I trudged up the stairs to my room and opened the creaking door. I slowly took off my black cloak and looked into the broken mirror on the wall.

My blond hair curls and waves down my back, reaching a point just above my waist. My facial features were soft and I had a deep tan, something from my roots I supposed. I rarely take off my cloak, which shields the sun from me. I had plump lips, my lower lip was slightly larger than my upper lip giving a small illusion as if I was pouting. I had cold, steely gray eyes that calculates every move you make. Nothing goes passed me unnoticed.

I was dressed in my usual wear. I had black tight pants with leather belts strapped around my thigh that held a dagger. I wore dark brown leather hunting boots that came just under my knees, a concealed throwing knife strapped inside my boot. I had a black shirt on with sleeves that reached my wrist. My top was tucked in and I wore a dark belt the had my other dagger strapped on the side of my hip. Another few throwing knives sat on the other side of my belt. I had gloves that seemed as if the finger tips were cut off, so that the top half of my fingers were showing. They laced up on the side, they acted as small pading to my arms. The tops reach my elbow.

Beside me sat my two identifying pieces, they gave the people a signal that read 'you fuck with me, you won't have enough time to apologize before you take your last breath'. I had a red silky fabric that wrapped around my nose and covered my mouth. It made so that when my cloak and it was on the only thing visible were my eyes and some random strands of golden hair. Beside that hung my black cloak. It was a midnight colour, the kind you couldn't see in the dark no matter how hard you squinted. The bottom of the cloak reached my ankles and it tied around the base of my throat. The hood, when up, covered most of my hair. I looked extremely threatening when fully geared up. No one talks to me, except the occasional tavern keeper that offered me a cup of ale.

I unstrapped all my weapons but kept the dagger on my leg on. I couldn't risk getting attacked at night. I was scrubbing off the remains of caked on mud from my face with a wet rag when something slipped under my door. I walked over and there sat an enclosure letter with nothing written on the outside. I slowly picked up the envelope and broke the seal. Hastily scribbled on the parchment it read only a few words.

_Meet in woods at dusk. Half pay upfront, 150 gold, other half after you complete the assignment. Your task will be explained when you arrive._

_-Your Employer_

A hundred fifty gold was quite bit for a job, especially when it was only half. This set off a few red flags of who my employer was and who I would be killing. The person giving the go would have to be a wealthy aristocrat and the person they would be targeting would have to be important. I couldn't think of anyone immediately, but I knew this assignment wouldn't be a quick kill.

Once the time reached about quarter till dusk I started re-dressing. I slowly put all my weapons back on and laced up my gloves. I tied my cloak around me and pulled the hood up. Then I slipped the red fabric over my face leaving my eyes viewable. I quietly exited the inn and began to make my way to the woods, hiding in the shadows. I could see a faint light glowing somewhere near the edge of the wall of trees. I could tell once I got closer that it was a small lantern with a flickering light trapped in the glass. I slowly started following the lanterns that were placed strategically in a trail to a clearing.

Once I reached the edge of the opened land among the forest I peaked to make positive this was an employer and not am ambush. In the middle of the clearing stood a man that appeared in his late forties. He had a stocky build with shoulder length white hair and a beard. He was dressed in wealthy clothes so I was right about my assumption. He stood beside a saddled horse, holding a lantern.

I saw on the other side of the clearing made me suspicious though. I could see another man clad in black. He then stepped out of the shadows and I could see what he looked like from the dying lantern.

He wore a black shirt that had of what seemed like a vest over it. It laced up the sides and one arm covered with the leather material down to his forearm and the other stopped at his shoulder. He wore a midnight black cloak that one side was thrown partly over his arm, the one without the protection from the leather breastplate. He wore a loose belt that had a hilt at the right side and a small pack that was attached to the back left corner of his belt. In his hilt sat a sword, I could only see the leather bound handle though. He wore black pants and a pair of black hunting boots. His hood was pulled up so all I could see was a pair of thin pink lips and a perfectly sculpted jaw. He appeared to be an assassin, like me. What troubled me is that this man was meeting with two assassins. That was very uncommon, did he not expect one of us to accept? A true assassin would never turn down three hundred gold and a chance to kill someone high in power. Another thing that troubled me was what the assassin made me feel. I have only caught a look at him, and he gave off this aura of mystery and...sexy? I have never had that thought before but the look he portrayed was very attractive. He looked like a bad ass.

I decided to find out what was going on and stepped away from the shadows, at first unnoticed. Then the other assassin's head snapped up and I could see his eyes. We locked gazes and my own gray orbs met with a beautifully cold sea green colour. I could see the pain and the loss behind his striking eyes. They read of years of killing and blood staining his hands, my eyes probably read the same story. The one story with blank pages and heavy covers that took a lot of force to open. My walls were unbreakable.

We held gazes before the man in front of me cleared his throat and held out a hand that was covered in a black glove and his forearm was strapped with an arm guard. That made my curiosity peak, in a fraction of a second I picked up that he had a quiver behind him and a bow strapped to him. I figured he was a swordsman and an archer. An unlikely combo.** (A/N I know Percy would be the worst shot, but I really wanted one of them too be able to shoot. And I love rangers apprentice so I picked Percy. Deal wit it.)** I took his hand and shook firmly. I wondered why neither of us had tried to kill the other yet, but I felt somewhat calm around him.

"So your the infamous assassin that has sent the kingdom to hide in the shadows," the dark boy in front of me stated. He had a soothing voice and when I shook his hand I had an electric shock that went up my arm. I dismissed it though.

"Pardon me, and you are?" I asked the boy in front of me, honestly curious.

"Percy, were working this one together," he said it so casually but I froze. I had never heard of two assassins working together in my whole career. I slowly turned my way to the employer.

"Together? That is actually possible?" I asked the old man that was holding the lantern.

"With this assignment, you will have to. The person your going after is going to be extremely difficult to kill. He is the one person that would ever need to top two assassins on him. I'm your employer, Zeus." The old man, Zeus, told me. He acted as if this explained everything. I was still baffled by the whole situation. How can two assassins work together? Who would be important enough to require that?

"Who will be the target?" I asked, masking my bewilderment and trying to maintain a formal attitude.

"A man of high power, King Kronos," Zeus told me and I didn't try to mask my surprise this time. The man is a complete tyrant, he had ruled our Kingdom for years.

"Is that the reason you need both of us on this task?" I asked Zeus glancing towards Percy.

"Yes, and Percy has already accepted. I presume you will too?" He asked me.

I looked at Percy and decided something. I quickly pulled a throwing knife from my belt and threw it at him, in between his eyes. He quickly dodged, and I analyzed him. He was a good 6'1, lean but you could still see the muscle on his body. He had quick reflexes, due to the point he dodged that when we were only a couple yards away from each other. I decided my verdict.

"I'll work with him," I told him casually while they both stared at me in shock.

"What? I was just making sure I could work with him, I was analyzing his skills. He is lean but muscular which means he can be quiet when needed. That also means he's good for hand to hand combat. He is a swordsman and also an archer, due to the calluses I felt when I shook your hand your skilled when it comes to swordplay. Your reflexes are very impressive, which proves that your combat skills would be very impressive." I finish voicing my analysis to them and Percy looked at me impressed.

"You got all of that off me from shaking my hand and trying to kill me?" He asked.

"The reason I'm a successful assassin is that I analyze and strategize, nothing goes by unnoticed," I told him while I walked over a dislodged my knife from a tree trunk.

"Impressive," I heard Percy murmur and I smiled to myself. Though it was hidden by my mask.

I then decided that I would reveal my identity somewhat to him, since we were going to work together on this. I pulled down my hood but left the mask on. Percy took that as a sign to do the same and what I saw made my knees weaken. He had unruly black hair but it looked perfect on him, the shadow came off his face and everything matched up. He had high cheekbones and his jaw was perfectly sculpted. His skin was deeply tanned like mine. He was incredibly attractive, he hit the gene jackpot.

"So, you pay us half upfront and and other half after the king dies?" I ask Zeus, trying to redirect my attention away from staring at Percy. He apparently had no shame, he was still looking at me like I was a million gold coins or something. I didn't think I was _that_ pretty.

"Of course, let me explain a few things to you," he said while handing me a pouch of coins and snapping Percy out of his trance to retrieve his own. I started counting quickly when Zeus spoke again.

"This is going to be a strange job for both of you probably, but there is no other way to do so. I'm going to need you both to go undercover, your going to play the part of a noble and his wife. I need Percy for his people skills and fighting, you,"he said pointing towards me,"I need you for you strategy and fighting. This project will take place during the next month, leading up to the ball on the winter solace. Think this will work?" Zeus asked me.

I pondered it for a moment. The plan was a good starting outline and I would fill out the rest later. We have a month to prepare, and to play wealthy won't be hard. Though it might not seem assassins are extremely wealthy. Especially Percy and I, being the top hired.

"This can work," I told Zeus while tying the coin pouch around my belt. I then turned to Percy to give him a former introduction.

"Annabeth Chase," I said while putting my hand out, he took it and shook.

"Percy Jackson," he replied to me. I then looked between Zeus and Percy, my eyes finally locking with Percy's again.

"We're going to con the King."


	2. Chapter 2

Percy and I exited the woods about ten minutes after the sunrise. We had decided that we would stick together, we needed to be at the castle in a month. We also needed a plan, if we're going to be undercover we can't carry our weapons around. I'm keeping a dagger strapped to my leg at all times. Percy told me he had a friend that was a blacksmith, he said that he could make weapons too. So that's where we're heading, to his friend's shop.

Percy and I silently snuck down the streets to find this shop. I didn't trust him right now, but I have to be able to trust him quickly. We're working an assassination together, one of us could get easily hurt. I felt comfortable around him, to clarify I haven't had the urge to kill him. Which is strange for me, usually after talking with anyone I would have about fifty ways to kill them. But I had yet to have that kind of thought about Percy.

I've been having thoughts that's for sure. And it's confusing me, my mind keeps drifting to how attractive he is. And how kind he was when talking, and how his eyes lit u- wait, what? I don't get these kinds of thoughts, I'm really freaking myself out. I must have zoned out because Percy was now in front of me, waving a hand in front of my face .

"Annabeth? Hello? Earth to Annabeth?" He asked while trying to gain my attention. I reached out and grabbed his hand before realising what I was doing.

"Sorry, reflex," I told him while I let go. I was about two seconds from flipping him over my shoulder.

"Its okay, you just zoned out, were here," he told me while opening a large wooden door.

We walked inside and I knew this guy was serious. I mean, some of the nicest made daggers were in an assortment on tables. I felt like I was going to squeal, but Annabeth Chase does not squeal. I kept my composure and walked towards a beautifully made dagger. It was celestial bronze, the dagger handle was wrapped in tanned leather. The blade was medium length with a double bladed edge. There were small inscriptions on the side in some foreign language. The weighting was light, this could be thrown or stabbed with. I had to have this dagger, it was calling me. I felt like I could kill many animals and people with this.

"Told you, he's the best," Percy said as he leaned over me. My breathe caught in my throat because he had pulled his hood down, he really was handsome...stop Annabeth!

"Uh...Yeah," I said and cleared my throat,"who exactly is 'he'?"

"Your about to find out," Percy replied and walked over to the sales counter. At the same time Percy reached the table a stocky dark skinned man walked out of the black room.

He was tall, and he had probably traveled here from Africa. He had kind eyes with short, buzzed hair. He was very built, but not in a overly muscled way. He walked up to the table while willing his hands on the smock he was wearing. He then held his hand out to shake.

"Percy! How have you been man?" He enquired looking at Percy then over to me.

"Good Beckendorf, good," he said then running to me,"Beck, the is Annanbeth, Annabeth this is Beck."

I turned towards Beckendorf and stuck out my hand,"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," he said with a goofy grin. He looked like a likeable person, he casted of an aura of kindness.

"So, what brings you to my shop Percy?" He said turning to the green eyes boy.

"We were hoping for some new weapons, New job," he explained quickly. Beckendorf's eyes turned understanding and he walked around the counter.

"Well, then I'm of your service," he said,"see anything you like?"

I just walked over quietly to the table I had been at earlier. I picked up the dagger and flipped it in my hand, catching it buy the hilt.

"How much?" I asked him, already knowing that this would be expensive.

"Give me fifty for it, that's enough," he said dismissing it with his hand.

"Now way, fifty?" I asked clarifying my ears weren't clogged. I was expecting a minimum of a hundred. This was on of the best daggers I've seen before. Maybe the best dagger, whatever it was it had to cost more than fifty gold.

"Yeah, only fifty I give discounts to friends," he said walking towards Percy who was examining different swords.

"Thank you," I told him while walking over to see what was looking at.

He stood there with two swords held in his hands, we was weighing the differences. He then turned to me.

"Block this," was all he told me before swinging straight at my head.

I was caught off guard at first but then quickly blocked before he cut my body in two. I had trouble recovering from the force, because damn, he was strong. He then struck with the other sword and went back to weighing them in his hands before setting one down.

"This one Beck," Percy said holding a hilt of a sword. It was celestial bronze like mine. The handle was bound with a dark leather and there was an inscription on the side I could barely make it out, riptide was engraved on the side.

"Alright fifty each, and don't worry off books," Beckendorf said to Percy and I gave him the money and promptly left.

I waited outside for Percy quietly, I was observing the town. Commoners walked around on cobblestone pathway, careful to avoid my gaze. I swung myself up on top of Beckendorf's roof and idly watched from a crouching position. I spotted many escape routes and found many people I had seen time before. Before I knew what I was doing I had taken my knife out and was making it at a person walking by. I'm not sure what compels me to kill, it seemed so natural now. Taking another ones life and giving them a one way ticket to hell. It was a personal vendetta of mine to take revenge on each man that has a jingle in their pocket that's a little too loud. So I slowly pulled back my arm into the throwing position and in a fluid motion I threw the dagger and it pierced the side of his head. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I leaped from the rooftop and swiped away my knife and his coins in a quick second before reclaiming my spot at the roof. Only one person saw the interaction and they seemed persuaded to not say anything. Not having a finger can do that.

I slowly wiped away the blood from my dagger as Percy swung up on to the roof top. He gave me a quizzical look before glancing down at the dead noble man. I rose an eyebrow at his look and shrugged.

"We should move on," I said as I stood and started moving from rooftop to rooftop. Percy followed in suit and we were flying across roofs till we reached the edge of town. I then made a small leap to a tree and continued until I reached the heart of the woods. Percy had no complaint throughout the whole time we traveled I slowly came to a stop and surveyed the scene.

We stood in the middle of the woods with luminous tress around us. Leads and twigs scattered the ground and roots popped from the dirt. A couple of rabbits hopped from the bushes and then soon only one bunny was heading home. Peter Cottentail just got nailed in his brain by a knife. No more bunny trails for him.

"Dinner?" Percy asked as he began to set up a fire.

"Yeah," I replied courtly. I slowly started skinning the rabbit in contempt. It was silent and I could see Percy work on the fire. I wasn't about to let him into my life. Assassins live in the shadows, we erase family ties and push anyone put. That's going to be the hardest part of this project, keeping him out. His eyes keep drawing me towards him, I want to open up to him. I believe that's a tactic of his, he looks like home and once you are captive he stabs you in the back, literally.

"Done," Percy says and I stand to roast the bunny, soon it's cooked and were both eating silently. I scan the area and find ways to escape, it's a skill you pick up and you repeat it anywhere you go. Once I finish I stand and swing myself up into the crook of a tree. I drape my cloak over my body concealing myself in shadows.

I soon see Percy do the same at the tree across from me. I slowly drifted to sleep only to suffer through intense nightmares of crows and death.

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I woke to the sound of twigs snapping and I immediately sprang up to defenses out of habit. I had my dagger in hand and was crouched on top of the branch I was resting in. I peered into the dark looking for any traces of life. I could see it, it might be faint but it was definitely there. A palace guard from Kronos's kingdom was searching through the trees, he looked extremely suspicious. It had to be past midnight by now.

I tensed up as he turned his head in my direction, I willed for shadows to overtake my appearance. He soon, after minutes of staring, turned away and retook his journey. Normally I would have jumped down and killed him myself, but I have this feeling. An eerie sensation that flooded my body and made the hairs on the back of my neck stick up.

I was right.

A hand wrapped itself around my throat and jerked back hard. But something about this felt eerie and inhuman. A dark cloud of smoke interrupted my thinking and buried itself into my throat. The black substance filled my throat and seemed to be sucking the life out of me and my body was fighting back with convulsions and noises. I could feel two eyes piercing into the back of my neck and slowly making themselves to force eye contact.

A head appeared in front of me, but the body was still behind of me. The neck was bent in an inhuman angle but I could understand that. Because this was definitely not human. A long serpent like tounge sprouted from the thin lips of my killer and fangs sprouted from the gum lines. The eyes were completely black. No whiteness or even an iris. These were solid black, but they looked strangely like liquid. And there were tears of blood swimming in the sockets of this hollowed face with trails of red down its cheeks. The neck was black and bruised beyond repair. Bent out in the most unnatural way. Sprouting from its mouth suddenly came the same sickening substance that was choking the life from me seconds ago.

I was gasping and sputtering, trying to regain a simple moment or control over my jerking body. My hand was twitching towards my leg, a reflex from so many repeated times that was awakened in a moment of danger. Slowly my constantly moving hand reached the tip of my hilt and my fingertips grasped the very edge. I let my instinct take over and my fragile body went into a game mode. My hand slipped farther onto my dagger until I had a firm grip on it. I pulled it out with a struggle and lifted the point to the creatures stomach. With a forced movement I dug the dagger's blade into the creatures stomach, hilt deep. It let out a horrifying shriek that pierced my ears until a trickle of blood fell from the left side of my head. It shrank away from my body and I came back gasping and puking from immense dysfunction in my body from the struggle. I was full of rage now and began charging toward the monster that had barely failed from killing me a mere minute ago. It lay limp on the ground in a pool of dark red blood. I hacked off its head and dug my dagger to the hilt into its heart over, and over again. I finally had run out of steam after what felt like an hour of ruthless destruction. I found the arm of the dead beast and roughly carved the words love, death into the pale lifeless skin. I was now covered in blood, the sickly sweet smell was entrancing my sense and I was going into an insane state. I wanted more death, to hurt the people that hurt me. Kronos will die. I slowly dragged myself up, gaining whatever little humanity I had left to drag myself from the now blood covered beast. I stood shakingly on my feet and gazed down at my body. Up to my bicep was slick and red. I felt it smeared across my face and in my hair. My shoes and thighs were covered as well as my abdomen. I looked like I had played in the rain, except instead of water it rained blood. L

I followed my tracks back to where I had slept the night before in the woods. I felt lifeless and hollow. I had no feeling and no reaction during that whole time I just savagely took the life of that monster. I looked around until I spotted the tree I had spent the night in. I climber the branches until I spotted where Percy was resting and made my way over to him.

"Wake up," I said curtly and his figure pounced over mine and he held a sword to my throat. Only took him about seven seconds to realize I was drenched in blood.

"What the hell happened to you?" Percy asked me as he began examining me leading up to my neck.

"Doesn't matter, we just need water," I said and easily threw him off me and stood. I took my dagger out and I felt a wildness return to my body an I quickly turned back to Percy and pushed my dagger up to his neck.

"Ever try to jump me like that again I won't hesitate to kill you," I stretched at him and my animal side slowly dissipated.

I turned back again and started walking towards signs of water. Not to long I started to see moss on rocks and damp land. We slowly made our way until I spotted mud and and walked towards it. I saw a small stream ahead and pulled Percy along until we reached the bank. I stripped off the clothing I was wearing only leaving my pants and a black tank top on. I started scrubbing the blooded places on my clothing until it was no longer visible. I could see Percy take off some of his own clothing to wash dirt and grim from, he was left in pants and a black short sleeved tunic. We were both ankle deep into the water an I was on the brink of exhaustion. I was almost choked to death then I had a killing frenzy without a minute to really catch my breath. I let my hair down from the scrap of fabric that was holding it up and shook my Sun bleached waves from my head. I ran my now clean fingers through it and turned my head up towards the trees. I gazed through the cracks between the leads and branches that only allowed small streams of sunlight to sneak through and reflect off the moving waters. I reached into the liquid below me and picked up a small pebble. I examined it close to my face before tossing it back into the water a ways away. I rubbed the last bits of blood from my face and hair before pulling my wet tendrils away from my face into a tight ponytail. I slipped the rest of my clothes back on completely aware of the fact Percy had been checking me out.

"We need to get to the Kingdom in three days, we need to move," I said to Percy as I cleaned the blood from my dagger's blade.

"Okay, but mind telling me who you killed?" He asked clearly wondering why he had waken up to a bloody girl.

"More like what I killed, and for that I'm not sure it was some sort of monster I suppose. Had a bent out neck and black eyes. It almost killed be before I stabbed it in the stomach and sliced off its bead," I said to Percy as I turned away and began to walk the way towards the next town.

"I've never heard of anything like it..." he mumbled with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hope you never do," I whisper as horrifying memories came back as the reality of what had happened struck me. The black eyes searching for a way into my soul and the mist sucking the life from me and poisoning my lungs. The teeth inches away from sinking into my skin. Before I knew it I was laying in the creek passed out with the water flowing over my body soaking my clothing and drowning my eyes.

I awoke laying on a bed of grass beside the water. My cloak and mask were resting beside me in a heap. Percy was hovering close by, he was pacing ever so slightly, on walking a foot out before turning. I sat up slowly and caught Percy's attention. He walked towards me a crouched down, handing me a canteen of water and placing a supporting hand on my lower back. I slowly tilted the bottle to my mouth and ignored the tingling sensation that I felt when Percy rested his hand on my back. I took welcoming gulps of the fresh water hoping to diminish the scratching of my throat.

"What happened?" Percy asked me while capping the canteen and setting it down before standing again. He offered me a hand which I gratefully took.

"Don't know, flashbacks," I said uncertainty lacing through my words.

"That's not good, especially if they become frequent," Percy informed me while packing away supplies and standing. I slipped my cloak on again and put on my mask.

"Well, they usually happen after I kill someone. Day or two after I get horrifying visions and I have to drink myself to sleep," I say before briskly turning and starting off the path again, trying to dismiss my previous statement.

"I have the same thing, don't worry," Percy said as he caught up to me. Similarities. That's a good thing, I guess. Hopefully the comfort in his presence and ability to understand won't come back and haunt me.


End file.
